All eyes fixed on Su Yan, who led the way, and the Yang Kai she supported, a swirl of envy and jealousy spreading rapidly through the crowd, thick with bitterness.
Before today, they had never seen Su Yan so close to any man. Not even the most outstanding among the core disciples had ever been granted such a privilege.
Su Yan cultivated the Ice Heart Art. Her heart of a maiden had been sealed in ice for years; usually, forget being close to other men, even speaking with them was a rare occurrence. Every disciple of Lingxiao Pavilion, regardless of strength or status, had to be cautious around her, lest they offend the beauty. Yet here she was, actively supporting a boy at Kaiyuan Realm Stage Three, her small hand, white as jade, gently steadying him at the waist. Her pure, cold face was tinged with a slight blush, looking surprisingly alluring.
The unapproachable goddess seemed so much closer now.
But countless male hearts in Lingxiao Pavilion shattered, feeling as if the lofty goddess in their minds had been defiled.
And the one who had defiled her was right here, being supported by the goddess, breathing in her scent, feeling the softness of her small hand, enjoying a treatment no one else ever had!
"There's killing intent!" Yang Kai wore a peculiar smile at the corner of his mouth, his demeanor calm as he walked forward with Su Yan, somewhat like a fox borrowing the tiger's majesty.
A shadow swerved in front of them. A handsome, refined man blocked the path of Su Yan and Yang Kai. His starry eyes gazed at Su Yan, brimming with deep affection, yet concealing a trace of hidden resentment and displeasure.
Su Yan's steps halted. She looked up at the man.
"Step aside!" The same cold voice as always sounded, flat, carrying no hint of worldly emotion, nor revealing her feelings.
The man smiled wryly and shook his head. "Junior Sister, don't make things difficult for Senior Brother. I'm only doing my duty!"
This was the second strongest of Lingxiao Pavilion's younger generation: Xie Hongchen.
"Step aside!" Su Yan repeated, as if unwilling to waste another word.
Xie Hongchen said helplessly, "Junior Sister, these people cannot leave just yet! They violated the Sect Rules. Before the Elder Council reaches a verdict, no one is permitted to take them from here."
"Sect Rules?" Yang Kai stepped forward with a cold snort. "May I ask, Senior Brother, which Sect Rule did we violate?"
Xie Hongchen shot him a contemptuous glance and snorted. "Brawling in a group, attempting murder, and defying the Law Enforcement Hall—any single one of those is enough to get you expelled from Lingxiao Pavilion."
"Brawling in a group?" Su Yan took over. "Against whom? If it was a group brawl, there must have been opponents, right? Why did your Law Enforcement Hall only arrest one side? Where is the other group?"
Xie Hongchen's expression soured, momentarily speechless. The other side in the brawl was Wei Zhuang and his group—how could they possibly dare to arrest them?
"Attempting murder? So where are the corpses of those supposedly killed?"
Xie Hongchen could only smile bitterly, hurriedly explaining, "Attempted, attempted murder! Fortunately, the Law Enforcement Hall intervened, preventing any major catastrophe."
"When disciples spar, life and death are at their own risk! By your logic, wouldn't every pair of sparring disciples be 'attempting murder'? With so many people in your Law Enforcement Hall, if you have nothing better to do, why not arrest every disciple in Lingxiao Pavilion?" Su Yan's expression was indifferent, her tone icy. "As for defying the Law Enforcement Hall, if it truly upheld fairness and justice, who would dare defy it? I'm afraid this hall, which claims to represent the Sect Rules, has long become a tool for certain people to vie for power and influence. It destroys its own authority, so it's no surprise others come to trample on it!"
"Junior Sister." Xie Hongchen's smile turned dry, his handsome face etched with deep helplessness. "Must you be so blunt?"
"You know the rights and wrongs in your own heart."
Xie Hongchen's expression darkened. He lowered his voice. "Junior Sister, I have always been sincere toward you. Why must you make things so difficult for me?"
Su Yan replied coolly, "If Senior Brother's words were heard by Junior Sister Zhao Feixue, I wonder what she would think."